Read Online Golden Ghost by Terri Farley - Free Book Online

instead ofdraped across the floor. After that, she stacked her horse magazines inside a big plastic box that Gram had bought to fit under her bed.
    Now, Sam stood with her hands on her hips, wondering what else would fit in that box and slide out of sight. Stray socks didn’t seem like a good choice, but they were the only things she could see that would fit.
    The telephone’s ring sounded downstairs in the kitchen. When Gram called up that it was Jen, Sam felt rescued. Besides, Jen was probably the only one who’d understand how she felt about the mare’s death.
    She was also relieved to see that Gram, Dad, and Brynna were in the living room, watching a special on television. That meant she’d have some privacy while she talked with Jen.
    â€œHi,” she began. “I’m so scared for the Phantom! One of the mares that’s been running with his herd was found dead. She might have had a contagious disease—”
    Jen didn’t gasp. She didn’t ask why. She didn’t even seem to hear.
    â€œI got my parents talking about Golden Rose,” Jen said. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, so Sam guessed Jed and Lila were nearby. “It was actually the most the two of them have talked together for weeks.”
    â€œThat’s great,” Sam said. Her news could wait,she guessed, but Jen shouldn’t have just ignored it.
    â€œYeah, they said one of the things that made her unusual was a ‘double mane factor’ in her breeding. She was supposed to have a big bushy mane and a full tail. Lots fuller than most light-colored horses, ’cause, you know, a lot of them have sort of wispy-thin manes and tails.”
    â€œCool,” Sam said. And it was, but didn’t Jen care about the Phantom?
    â€œYou know how Sundance is a sort of orange-gold palomino? Mom and Dad planned to breed a fancy style of palomino they’d call Fire and Ice. Get it? The body would be flame colored and the mane silvery white like ice.”
    â€œThat sounds great. I bet it would have attracted a lot of people. And with that double-mane factor—”
    â€œRight. But I didn’t tell them I’ve found her, not yet. What I want to do is catch her and just lead her in. Surprise them, you know?”
    â€œDid you get any hints on how to tell if it’s really her? I mean, it probably is, because we would have heard if anyone else was missing a horse—”
    â€œNot just any horse—”
    â€œBut she could be a mustang.”
    â€œYou must be joking.” Jen’s tone was scornful. “Did you see her conformation? Remember, we’re talking about centuries of careful matches, not random crossbreeding like horses on the range. And when she peered around the corner of that buildingat us? She looked really smart.”
    Sam realized her fingers had curled tighter and tighter around the telephone receiver. Not only had Jen ignored Sam’s awful news, she’d just insulted the conformation, good looks, and intelligence of wild horses.
    â€œI hope she wasn’t anywhere near the Phantom’s herd,” Sam said.
    Though she was irritated with Jen, Sam really hoped not. It would be awful if Jen had found the mare, only to lose her to disease.
    Jen still wasn’t listening.
    â€œYou know, I’ve been thinking. I’ll bring some sweet grain in my saddlebags tomorrow. While you’re taking some more notes about Nugget—I think you should start with the general store, don’t you?—I’ll try to lure her close enough to touch.”
    So Jen played with the horse while Sam did the schoolwork? Sam pushed aside another twinge of irritation.
    â€œBecause if she has been with the Phantom’s herd,” Sam continued, “she might have been exposed—”
    â€œAnd then, once I’ve gentled her enough to—” Jen broke off suddenly and her voice was scared. “What are you talking